- Total of $100,000 in grants
will be awarded to ten women-owned businesses that address the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG).
- Applications open from April 30 to
May 14, 2024.
TORONTO, May 2, 2024
/CNW/ - BMO, in collaboration with Deloitte Canada, today
announced the continuation of its BMO Celebrating Women Grant
Program, an initiative dedicated to supporting real financial
progress for women-owned businesses.
BMO is pledging a total of $100,000 for ten women-owned businesses that can
demonstrate how they are addressing at least two of the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG). Each grant
recipient will be awarded $10,000,
receive support from a BMO business advisor, and have access to
additional resources to support their business' financial progress.
This includes BMO for Women workshops, seminars and events,
potential membership in select organizations and/or advisory
boards, a profile on bmoforwomen.com, and a BMO Celebrating
Women Grant Program recipient social badge.
Applications are open from April 30 to
May 14, 2024. Grant recipients will be announced in the fall
of 2024.
"Women-owned businesses are a cornerstone in a thriving economy
and the drivers of real change as challengers of the status quo,
innovators and leaders for the next generation," said Sharon Haward-Laird, BMO General Counsel and
Executive Sponsor of BMO for Women. "Time and again, research shows
that women-owned and women-led businesses adopt innovations and
sustainability initiatives more readily, play a significant role in
job creation, and boost GDP. The BMO Celebrating Women Grant
Program is another way our bank is working to empower
women-owned businesses in Canada
as they make measurable, long-lasting impacts."
"Empowering women-owned businesses is essential to driving
innovation and economic growth. By investing in these entrepreneurs
and providing critical access to capital, we are securing the
prosperity of their businesses and bolstering our global
competitiveness," said Emmy
Babalola, Partner, Deloitte Canada.
Inspired by BMO's Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in
business and life, and the bank's commitment to double support
for women-owned businesses, the BMO Celebrating Women Grant
Program was created in 2020. Within four years, the program has
expanded to reach a diverse range of sectors and industries. It has
supported 56 women-owned businesses across North America, providing over $500,000 to the program's grant recipients and
connecting them to business advisors and a vibrant professional
network.
BMO has a longstanding commitment to breaking down barriers to
advance women's empowerment, advocate for their growth, and foster
inclusivity within the market by meeting their unique needs.
Notable initiatives include:
- A commitment to increase the number of women-owned businesses
supported across the bank's Canadian footprint. As of 2023, BMO
supported more than 146,000 women-owned businesses in Canada, with more than $10 billion in loans.
- Established customer programs including BMO for Women,
which focus on advancing gender parity for the bank's clients,
supporting the growth of women-owned businesses, and empowering
women to feel confident about their finances and financial
futures.
- A partnership with 1871, which has led to the development of
the WMN FINtech program. Since its inception in 2018, over 15 per
cent of all women fintech founders in North America have come through this
initiative.
- Proudly supporting The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, the
largest English-language literary award in the world for women and
non-binary writers. The award celebrates creativity and excellence
in fiction in Canada and
the United States, while aiming to
help address inequalities in literary reviewing, reading and prize
culture.
- For the fourth consecutive year, BMO has been recognized in the
2024 Report on Business, Women Lead Here list – an annual benchmark
recognizing Canadian businesses with the highest achievement for
executive gender diversity.
To learn more about the BMO Celebrating Women Grant
Program, visit www.bmoforwomen.com.
About BMO for Women
Officially launched in
2016, the BMO for Women program is dedicated to empowering
women in business through tailored resources, community building
and improved access to capital. In addition to the BMO
Celebrating Women Grant Program, this program oversees a
nationwide group of Advocates – Commercial and Business Banking
Relationship Managers trained and committed to working with women
business owners and entrepreneurs. This team is augmented further
through partnerships with key organizations such as the Women
Presidents Organization, GroYourBiz, Women Business Enterprises,
and Women Get On Board.
About BMO Financial Group
BMO Financial Group is the eighth largest bank in North America by assets, with total assets of
$1.3 trillion as of January 31, 2024. Serving customers for 200 years
and counting, BMO is a diverse team of highly engaged employees
providing a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth
management, global markets and investment banking products and
services to 13 million customers across Canada, the United
States, and in select markets globally. Driven by a single
purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, BMO
is committed to driving positive change in the world, and making
progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive
society.
About Deloitte
Deloitte provides audit and assurance,
consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax, and related
services to public and private clients spanning multiple
industries. Deloitte serves four out of five Fortune Global 500®
companies through a globally connected network of member firms in
more than 150 countries and territories bringing world-class
capabilities, insights, and service to address clients' most
complex business challenges. Deloitte LLP,
an Ontario limited liability partnership, is the Canadian
member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. Deloitte refers to
one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private
company limited by guarantee, and its network of member firms, each
of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please
see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of
the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and its
member firms.
Our global Purpose is making an impact that matters. At Deloitte
Canada, that translates into building a better future by
accelerating and expanding access to knowledge. We believe we can
achieve this Purpose by living our shared values to lead the way,
serve with integrity, take care of each other, foster inclusion,
and collaborate for measurable impact.
To learn more about Deloitte's approximately 330,000
professionals, over 11,000 of whom are part of the Canadian firm,
please connect with us
on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram,
or Facebook.
SOURCE BMO Financial Group